Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Livingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingston: $2,067 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Livingston
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Livingston

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Livingston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,067 in Livingston.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Livingston $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,253 in Livingston.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Livingston $3,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,439 in Livingston.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Livingston $4,439

Living in Lisbon is roughly 8% more expensive than in Livingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Livingston 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$19.56 £14.68
-15.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$98.9 £74.2
-38.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$10.41 £7.81
8.26%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$5.07 £3.80
-39.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.62 £1.96
-13.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.29 £1.72
-24.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$6.67 £5.00
-49.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$6.49 £4.87
-47.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.43 £1.07
-21.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.83 £1.37
1.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.24 £1.68
-31.70%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.52 £2.64
12.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$9.42 £7.06
35.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$9.23 £6.93
-14.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$13.92 £10.44
21.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.83 £2.13
-19.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.88 £1.41
-6.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.84 £2.13
-34.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.44 £2.58
-25.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.70 £1.27
9.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.37 £1.03
47.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.18 £0.89
22.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.72 £1.29
-52.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$20.33 £15.25
-67.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$10.51 £7.89
-46.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.05 £2.29
-58.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.15 £2.37
-34.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$3.04 £2.28
-22.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$85.3 £64.0
-48.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$5.32 £3.99
-25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.56 £1.17
-30.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$27.39 £20.55
-39.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.12 £1.59
7.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$39.0K £29.2K
-13.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$39.9K £29.9K
-1.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$322 £242
-48.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$16.55 £12.42
13.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$41.85 £31.40
-20.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$40.79 £30.60
12.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$10.63 £7.98
-7.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$1,213 £910
-44.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$17.4K £13.0K
-2.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$90.3 £67.7
12.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$47.61 £35.72
-3.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$107 £80.0
-6.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$94.4 £70.8
30.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$871 £654
85.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$745 £559
60.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,858 £1,394
53.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,534 £1,151
29.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$4,485 £3,365
68.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$3,665 £2,750
17.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Livingston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$3,903 £2,928
-59.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.15
-25.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Livingston: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Livingston
$745 37.8% $452
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Livingston
$302 11.9% $32
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Livingston
$315 29.9% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Livingston
$381 73.6% $161
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Livingston
$153 8.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Livingston
$62 5.5% $3.6
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Livingston
$111 75.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $871 in Livingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $99.0 in Livingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $302 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Livingston
🕒 Local time
18:55 6:55 PM
18:55 6:55 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
56,840
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Livingston 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Livingston

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Lisbon vs Livingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Livingston?
Lisbon and Livingston differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,067 including rent). Livingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 146% lower in Livingston. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Livingston?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $871 in Livingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Livingston?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $1,213 in Livingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,067 in Livingston versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Livingston but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Livingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Livingston?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Livingston safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Livingston are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Livingston?
Expats usually find Livingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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